Clients still skeptical? Employ some of these telemarketing techniques to help you build trust.

Trust is central to sales. Customers won’t buy from you if they don’t have confidence in what you tell them and how you behave. With some customers, it’s easy to establish rapport, but with others, you may need to use some strategic telemarketing techniques to earn their trust.

The point bears some emphasis: Trust is *earned*. It’s not something that people give away. Your first goal, then, as an insurance salesperson isn’t to close deals, but to garner the trust of the people to whom you’re trying to sell.

Can you earn trust over the phone? The answer lies in human psychology. To gain trust, you need to establish an emotional connection. You don’t have to become friends—though there’s nothing wrong with that—but you do need to get them to feel like you’re an empathic human being who understands and cares about their needs.

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7 Telemarketing techniques to help you build that trust, even with very uncertain prospects

1. A warm greeting

When your call goes through, right away you have a chance to create a connection. Clearly state your name and where you’re calling from, then pause briefly. Let them process who you are and what you might be calling about. Then get a little personal. For example, you might open with something you saw recently in the press about their company. Starting on the right foot will help tremendously when trying to build trust.

Not comfortable winging it? Use a customized call script to help you break the ice.

2. Choose your words carefully

Some words carry more weight than others in a sales call. First and foremost, avoid negative words like “sorry,” “problem,” or “don’t.” As with all these telemarketing techniques, focus on the positive. Use words like, “solution,” and “help.” You might also appeal to someone by talking about “value,” and “opportunity.” Finally, use “because” to illustrate the reasons for your proposal. People love to know the why, and using this simple word can help you close a lot of deals.

3. Demonstrate credibility

Early on in the conversation, give some credentials referencing past successes. Demonstrating a track record will help get prospects to trust you because people tend to trust more when they believe you’ve already been successful. They think your product must be as good as you say, or else you wouldn’t have made so many other sales.

If you’re new to sales, talk about what the product means to you and why you believe in it. It’s not exactly the same, but you’ll need something to work with until you get a few wins under your belt.

4. Show integrity

This is one of the most essential telemarketing techniques for building trust. If you get part way through a conversation and realize that your product isn’t actually what the prospect needs, tell them so and refer them somewhere else. No, you don’t get paid to do that, but you will demonstrate that you actually care about the prospect’s need and not just about closing a sale. In the future, when your product offering does meet the prospect’s needs, you may be the first one they call. (Or they may refer others to you—either way, it’s a win!)

5. Ask about previous experiences

If their objection is that they’ve been burned in the past, ask them questions about the situation and listen carefully to the answers. This creates empathy between you and the prospect, which is a natural component of trust. And, by talking about a bad experience, they may find a weight lifted off their shoulders and be more inclined to at least listen to your pitch. This is one of the more tricky telemarketing techniques because you don’t want to pry too much, especially if the prospect seems hesitant. Making yourself available, however, gives them an avenue to take and again shows that you care about them as a person, not just as a customer.

Another word of caution here: Don’t bad-mouth other sales reps or companies. Let the prospect gripe all they want, but your job is to listen and be sympathetic to their bad experience, not to stomp on the competition. That will make you look aggressive and cold.

6. Know your product

This may seem obvious, but it’s crucial that you become an expert on your product long before you start making calls. If a prospect asks a question and you hesitate even for a few seconds, you risk damaging any trust you’ve built. A prospect wants to be confident that you know your product inside and out. Indeed, expertise isn’t so much an optional technique as it is a necessary one.

7. Never pressure

Finally, don’t ever pressure someone into buying. If you come across as a pushy salesperson, no one is going to trust that you have their best interest in mind. Remember always that selling is about building relationships and solving customer needs. Use these telemarketing techniques to help you do precisely that.

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